Capricorn

Capricorn is the strangest of astrological signs. Sometimes it is depicted as a goat, but more often it’s seen as the front half of a goat and the rear half of a fish. What a sad combination! Goats’ hooves were designed to leap nimbly over rocky hillsides. Fish tails are brilliant for underwater manuevers. But together they could only encumber and frustrate their owner. Today’s block, also called Capricorn, has a similar problem. It’s half eight-pointed star, half checkerboard. As if it can’t quite make up its mind. I’m not completely happy with the way this one turned out. If I’d used a fabric with a stronger value for the star, the checkerboard might disappear. If I’d chosen a bolder color for the squares, the star might be invisible. Instead I used two medium prints, and the whole pattern dissolves into an ambiguous mess.